WILLIAMS'S
THE NEW PIANO SHOP
IS NOW OPENWith the best selected stock
of magnificent speciality perfect pianos and music
in the district by

BROADWOOD
WALDERMAN
LIPP
B. SQUIRE & SON
CHAPPELL,

and
many other noted makers
Organs by

SAMES
ESTEY, and others

THE
ANGELUS PIANO PLAYER
With orchestral effects
---------
23, OLD-STREET,
ASHTON-UNDER-LYNE
Tuning and Repairs a Speciality

INTERESTING
OPENSHAW LICENSING CASE
An Important Decision
At the City Police Court, on Wednesday, an interesting
point was raised in regard to the licensing law. It arose
out of a case against Patrick MORLEY for selling drink
without a license. It was alleged by the police that the
licensee of the George and Dragon, a fully-licensed house
in Ashton Old-road, was not in charge there, and that
the defendant was performing the actual duties. Mr BELL
prosecuted, and Mr William COBBETT appeared on behalf
of the defendant.

The evidence was to the effect that the police visited
the house, and found the defendant in sole charge. MORLEY
said that the licensee, Sarah BROUGHTON, had not been
there for months. He had not seen her since taking over
the management of the house six weeks before. He further
stated that Mrs BROUGHTON was employed as housekeeper
to the barmen in the house, for which she received 3s.
a week.

Superintendent CORDEN told the court that he had sent
for the licensee on a previous occasion to obtain an explanation,
but she did not come. After another visit to the house
she called to see him, and said she knew nothing whatever
about the management of the house, and had not been living
at the place for some months.

Mr CORBETT submitted that the defendant had the authority
of the licensee for selling in the house.

Mr BELL contended that the bona-fide licensee, Mrs BROUGHTON,
had no power whatever in the house, and could not give
authority to someone else to conduct the business, as
she was herself merely a servant with a weekly wage.

The Stipendiary decided there ought to be a conviction,
on the ground that there was no authority given on the
part of the licensee for the defendant to conduct the
business. A fine of 40s. and costs was imposed.REVOLVERS AND BAD LANGUAGE AT ASHTON
Sights and Sounds on Manchester-road
At the Ashton Borough Police Court on Monday forenoon
three young boys named Robert HALL, Ambrose ADDISON, and
Richard MASSEY were charged with using obscene language
in Stamford Place on the 20th of September. They all pleaded
not guilty.

A youth named Henry KING gave evidence to the effect that
the three youngsters were using bad language to him as
he passed. They always did. One of the defendants (who
all appeared to treat the matter as a huge joke): He said
he could hear me fifty miles away. That's not true. —
(Laughter.)

Another: Did you see me swear? — Witness: No, but
I heard you. — The Chief Constable: Is it true that
they often use bad language? — Witness: Yes sir.
— ADDISON: He said he'd shoot me with a revolver
once. He's known as the Revolver King. — (Laughter.)
He's often thrashed us too. — The Chief Constable:
Is that true? — KING: No sir. I've never been able
to catch them. — Ettie POTTS gave similar evidence.

HALL's version of the affair was that as they were going
down Manchester-road they saw KING, and a little boy named
DRINKWATER shouted, but they never did at all. —
The Chairman said the magistrates were convinced that
they used bad language, and they would be fined 5s. 6d.
for costs each, or 7 days in prison.

LOCAL MILITARY NEWS
An unusual announcement has just been made in connection
with an Ashton officer, the Army Council notifying that
the services of Lieutenant F.C. CASE are dispensed with.
Mr CASE was the senior subaltern in the 5th Battalion
the Manchester Regiment. He has served since 1899, and
has held full rank since May, 1900. During the Boer War
he served with his battalion when it was embodied at Aldershot
and in South Africa.

FUNERAL OF A MILL MECHANIC AT ASHTON
It is with regret that we report the death of Mr James
THORNLEY, of Welbeck-street, Ashton, who died rather suddenly
after a short illness, aged 58 years. Deceased had been
employed as mechanic to the firm of J.H. Gartside and
Co., Ltd., at Chapel Hill Mill, Dukinfield, and at Bridge
Eye Mill for over thirty years.

Mr THORNLEY was laid to rest at Christ Church Burial Ground
on Saturday afternoon, and as showing the respect in which
he was held the funeral was attended by upwards of 32
relatives and 20 friends and employees of Chapel Hill
Mill. The funeral cortege was headed by Mr John GRACE,
Mr James SCHOFIELD (mill manager), Mr Wm. HURST, Mr DERWENT,
Mr James BOYLAN, and Mr W.I. HARMAN.

The funeral service in the church and at the graveside
was impressively conducted by the Rev T.W. PUGHE-MORGAN,
vicar of St Peter' s. Wreaths were numerous, and
included a harp, cross, and anchor from the workpeople
of Chapel Hill Mill; anchor and wreath, Mr and Mrs George
THORNLEY and Miss THORNLEY; anchor, Mrs WHITTAKER; wreaths,
Mr and Mrs T. THORNLEY (son) and Miss Turner; wreaths,
Mr John HAWORTH and family; wreath, Mr and Mrs Joshua
HALL.

Each person attending the funeral was supplied with a
fine spray of rosemary, sent by Mr James THORNLEY, who
has grown the same at Littlemoss. The mourners and friends
attended at St Peter' s Church on Sunday morning,
when suitable references to the deceased were made by
the vicar.

ALLEGED HORSE STEALING AT HURST
Robert FLEMING stood in the dock at the Ashton County
Police Court on Wednesday, charged with stealing a horse,
the property of Silas TAYLOR, at Hurst. — Superintendent
HEWITT, in applying for a remand, explained that Mr TAYLOR
had a horse in a field. It disappeared, and was next seen
in the possession of a man at Oldham, to whom FLEMING
and another man had sold it.

Silas TAYLOR said the horse had been out since July. It
disappeared, and he next saw it in the possession of the
police. He had authorised no one to take it. — The
Magistrates' Clerk (to prisoner): Have you any reason
why you should not be remanded? — Prisoner: No;
I know nothing about it. Can' t I have bail? I' ve
four children to keep.

After consideration a short time the Magistrates'
Clerk decided to allow bail in sureties of £10,
and £20 himself.

THE PLAGUE OF FLIES AT OLDHAM
On Sunday morning, about nine o' clock, suddenly
over the Oldham Edge appeared a black cloud. Gradually
this cloud came over the centre of the town, and instead
of a downpour of rain people were surprised to find that
millions and millions of gnats made up the component parts
of the cloud. For some time afterwards the stragglers
from this curious army disturbed the peace of mind of
people in certain districts.

As the cloud advanced many people came out of their houses
to investigate the matter, but gradually the sky brightened
in the higher parts of the town, and the little visitors
passed away as rapidly as they had arrived towards the
lower parts of the town, where they were finally seen
disappearing Park Bridge way.

At Failsworth the streets were literally alive with myriads
of minute insects which covered pedestrians from head
to foot, and in many cases caused people to beat a retreat
from their undesirable acquaintance. As the afternoon
wore on the pests gradually cleared away.

For several weeks before this,
the Reporter gave extensive
coverage to a dispute at the Curzon Mill, Ashton,
which I have not included in previous Yesterdays
because there was so much of it. The next item speculates
on how the dispute was resolved, while the item after
that concerns court cases against those ordinary people
who objected to the use of non-union labour. —
Ed.

THE MYSTERY OF FORT
CURZON
Lifting the Veil
The mystery of Fort Curzon has been the
one topic of conversation during the week, and the number
of theories as to the terms of settlement have been about
as plentiful as leaves in autumn. None are authentic,
however, and the public are simply pining for information.

In official quarters mum' s the word
and, although nicely cornered, all that could be drawn
from one director was I' m looking at that
painter, at the same time riveting his eyes on
some decorator going on to a building, and then suddenly
doing a skedaddle and vanishing out of sight. Another
turned and fled up a stairway the moment he saw the interview
fiend and sought sanctuary in the quiet solitudes of a
gentleman' s club.

The operatives' officials shut up shop,
locked their office doors, and went and played truant
for a whole day, and then added insult to injury by telling
the gentlemen of the press that they had done it on purpose.
Wild horses would not drag any but meagre information
from them, and all round there seemed to be a conspiracy
of silence.

If anyone asks who is responsible for the settlement,
and who is going to take credit for it, the probability
is they will be met with the polite retort that it must
be the ubiquitous Bill Bailey.

The public, however, will not be denied. People will guess
and calculate and air their views. All sorts of
rumours have been current as to the alleged friction between
the spinners and cardroom operatives on the one hand and
the directors of the mill and the Employers' Federation
on the other. The Federation, as is well known, have been
called upon to pay the piper while the directors called
the tune, and this is said to have been an element in
the reactionary tendency which led to a settlement.

There is the question of payment for the use of the omnibuses
conveying the hands to and from the mill which must have
been very expensive considering that at least two drivers
and six horses have had to be retained along with the
buses the whole of the time. The question as to how far
the powers that be can go in expenditure
of this character is a matter requiring careful consideration,
and if the directors and shareholders of the mill were
called upon to bear the burden it is only natural to assume
that they would want to bring about a speedy termination
of the stirring events of the past few weeks.

Mills worked on the limited liability principle could
not be expected to continue unsupported for any length
of time such a struggle as that of the past few weeks,
and the strain has had its effects even on a fine, well-equipped
mill like the Curzon for the balance sheet to be submitted
at the half-yearly general meeting of the shareholders
to be held on Tuesday, October 11th, contains the following
announcement:

To the Shareholders. Ladies and Gentlemen. — Herewith
we hand you report for the half-year ending September
24th, 1904, and regret to state that owing to the unfortunate
strike and the serious depression in the Egyptian cotton
trade, we deem it inadvisable to pay a dividend.

On the other hand, it is stated that all has not been
smooth sailing in regard to the relations between the
minders and cardroom hands. The minders, it is generally
admitted, have made great sacrifices on behalf of their
co-workers, and those with the strongest views are said
to have taken the matter into their own hands with a view
to bringing about a settlement.

Their desire for a settlement was so strong that several
are alleged to have shown the white feather by assuming
an attitude contrary to the spirit of the union. This
was denied by their officials who stated that there had
been no friction whatever.

The position was best summed up in a remark by the Mayor
(Alderman SHAW), whose efforts paved the way for a settlement.
Both sides have given way a little, but neither
cares to admit it.

THE LAST OF THE POLICE CASES
Two more cases arising out of minor disturbances in various
portions of the borough were heard at the Ashton Borough
Court on Monday.

Elizabeth PRITCHARD was charged with committing a breach
of the peace in Curzon-road on the 19th of September.
She pleaded not guilty. From the evidence of Sergeant
CORBETT it appeared that about 4.45 on the date in question
he was on duty in Curzon-road. Just as the buses conveying
the non-unionists appeared he saw PRITCHARD shouting at
the top of her voice.

He asked for her name and address, and was asked What
for? He replied For shouting. She
said, Take that woman' s name and address;
she has been shouting as well as me. Of course,
he could not prove it, and therefore did nothing. Another
officer, who was in company with Sergeant CORBETT, corroborated
his statement.

Defendant' s version was that she came out of her
house to go an errand on Whiteacre-road. She went down
Russell-street and over the spare ground into the road
just as the buses came. Of course, she had to wait until
they passed, and the crowd broke out, and the people rushed
up. Did the magistrates think that one person could be
heard out of all that length?

She was not shouting; she would take her oath on it, although
she had a friend with her who was rather deaf, and she
might have spoken rather loudly, but she did not shout.
The witness referred to gave evidence corroborating Mrs
PRITCHARD, and said she never spoke a word.

The Chief Constable: What time was it, missis? Witness:
About a quarter to five. — Was there a great crowd/
Yes. — Were you stood by her side? Yes. —
You are very deaf? Well, rather. — And she might
have shouted without you hearing. She never spoke a word.

The Chairman (Nr Henry HALL) said the Bench were not quite
satisfied about the case. There was a doubt, and the defendant
would be given the benefit of it. She would be dismissed

Annie POTTER was charged with committing a breach of the
peace in Boodle-street on the 21st of September. She pleaded
guilty to just giving one shout when she
amusing the baby after the train had gone.

Sergeant CORBETT said that about 4.25 he was in company
with a sergeant of the Hyde borough force. As soon as
the train started the woman shouted — Defendant:
It was the baby who said shout, mamma. —
(Laughter.) — The Hyde sergeant corroborated, and
said Mrs POTTER had the baby in her arms. — Defendant:
It was by my side.

She was bound over to be of good behaviour for three months
and pay the costs. Two shillings expenses were given to
the officer from Hyde on the Chief Constable' s application.

NEARLY BLACKLISTED
John DAVIES, a collier, of 19, Crescent-road, Dukinfield,
pleaded guilty of being drunk and disorderly in Town-lane,
Dukinfield, on September 24th. A constable stated that
several of the defendant' s friends were trying to
get him home, but he commenced fighting.

Superintendent CROGHAN described the prisoner as a habitual
drunkard and he applied for him to be remanded in custody
until the following Thursday with a view to him being
put on the black list. There were 15 convictions recorded
against him for drunkenness, three within the last 13
months, the last being on February 18th last.

Councillor SHERRY pointed out that it was several months
since the prisoner was up before. He was fined 5s. and
costs, and warned that it he came again he would go on
the black list. — Prisoner: I shan' t come
here again.

PERHAPS IT DID
First artist: I received a magnificent tribute
to my skill the other day at the exhibition. Second
artist: Indeed, what was it? First artist:
You know the picture, ‘A storm at sea?'
Well, a man and his wife were viewing it, and I overheard
the fellow say: ‘Come away, my dear; that picture
makes me sick.

A CRUSHING REPLY
The schoolmaster in a certain village put to his pupils
the following problem: Suppose in a family there
are five children, and mother has only four potatoes to
give them, and she wants to give to every child an equal
share, what is she going to do?

Silence reigned for awhile in the room. Everybody calculated
very hard. At last a little boy stood up and gave, to
the great surprise of the schoolmaster, the unexpected
answer, Mash the potatoes, sir.